A rotary aircraft, rotorcraft, or rotary-wing aircraft is a type of machine that flies through the air using lift generated by rotor blades. Examples of rotary aircrafts include, but are not limited to, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), small UAVs (sUAVs), unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or sUAS), and tiltwings/tilt-rotor aircraft. Rotary aircrafts are used for military purposes, commercial purposes, and recreational purposes.
Rotary aircraft have one or more central hubs and any number of rotor blades (typically between two and seven) protruding from those central hubs. Similar to a conventional airplane's wings, the shape of the blades is designed to provide a lifting force when those blades are rotated sufficiently while centered on a central hub. Rotary aircraft can also be equipped with an antenna system for transmitting and/or receiving radio frequency (“RF”) communications. These RF communications may be transmitted to, or received from, any number of different external targets, endpoints, wireless network nodes, or systems. As an example, some rotary aircrafts can communicate with ground-based transmitters/receivers, with other flying machines (e.g., airplanes, unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAV”), other rotary aircraft, launched munitions, etc.), and even with satellites in orbit above the earth.
RF communications have advanced significantly in recent years. Now, more than ever before, a rotary aircraft is able to establish (in many cases even simultaneously) different RF communication links with external transmitters and receivers. Such advancements have substantially improved the safety of the pilot, aircrew and passengers aboard and of the rotary aircraft itself. Because of the benefits provided by RF communications, more and more RF components (e.g., RF front-end components and RF back-end components) are being installed into the rotary aircraft. By increasing the number of RF components, the rotary aircraft will be able to establish more of the highly desired communication links though at the potential cost of increased size, weight, and power.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.